Printing-press.



Patented Dec. 24, IQOI. F; READ.

PRINTING PRESS.

(Application filed Dec. 25, 1897.)

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No. 689,5l7. Patbnted Dec. 24, 190i.

. a. F. READ.

PRINTING PRESS. (Application flle d Doc.'28, 1891. (No Ilqdel.) I w 7 shaeti shapt 2.

No. 689,5l7. I Patented'Dec. 24,190I. G. F. BEAU. PRINTING PRESS.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1897.)

(No Modal.)

No. 689,5l7. Patented Dec. 24, 19m. 6. r. READ.

PRINTING PRESS. (Application filed Dec. 28, 1897,? (No Model.)

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No. 689,5!7. Patented Dec. 24, ism. a. F. READ.

PRINTING PRESS.

(Apizlication filed Dec. 28, 1897.)

7 Shaets8heet 5.

(No Model.)

No. 689,5l7. Patented Dec. 24, l90l.

' GLF. READ.

v PRINTING PRESS. (Application filed Dec. 28, 1897.]

7 Shaets Sheet 6.

(No Model.)

GEORGE F. READ, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ROBERT HOE AN D CHARLES W. C ARPENTER,

OF NEWV YORK, N. Y., COPARTNERS UNDER FIRM-NAME OF R. HOE &

COMPANY.

PRINTING -PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming; part of Letters Patent No. 689,517, dated December 24, 190i.

Application filed December 28,1897. Serial No. 663,911. \No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. READ, acitizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Presses, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

The object of this invention is the perfecting of printed sheets by the operation of continuously printing and delivering sheets in a bed-and-cylinder printing-machine; and the invention consists in novel combinations of parts whereby the sheets are continuously fed into the machine and printed in succession first upon one side and then upon the other and finally deliveredfrom the machine as perfected sheets. Y

The construction and operation of the several parts entering into the novel combinations subsequently claimed are so particularlyhereinafter illustrated and described as to need no preliminary brief description.

A preferable embodiment of the present invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete printing mechanism embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same, taken 011 the section-line 2, as seen in the direction its arrow-heads point. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of a sheetswitching feeding mechanism connected with the primary impression-cylinder. Fig. t is an enlarged sectional elevation of the same, the parts being in a different position, the View being taken just within the side frame or on line -1 of Fig. 2, as seen in the direction in which its arrow points. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the primary impression-cylinder and the mechanisms connected therewith. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the primary impression-cylinder and its ap- 5 purtenances. Fig. 7 is a similar view of the secondary impression-cylinder and its appu rtenances. Fig. 8 isan enlarged (let-ail view, partially in section,of one of the sheet-stripping rollers detached. Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive, are diagrammatic representations,on the scale of Figs. 1 and 2, of the printing mechanisms and sheet-carrying devices, illustrating more particularly the successive relations of the sheets to the printing-cylinders and to each other in the course of the operation.

That the improvements may be readily understood a general description of the printing-machine will first be given.

The bed B, carrying forms F F, is arranged to reciprocate horizontally upon runners R R and ways W W in a common manner and is reciprocated by means of a central rack C, depending from the bed and engaged by a driving-wheel V, that also gears with a lower rack X,fixed to the bed-plate. This driving-wheel V is journaled between the bifurcated end of a connecting-rod S, that is reciprocated bya crank D, fixed to a shaft 51, which also carries a wheel H, that gears with a pinion K. This bed-motion is one commonly known as the railroad motion and needs no further description. The bed it reciprocates is provided with side racks 53 54:. The rack 53 engages with wheels 55 56 on the same ends, respectively, of the impression-cylinders I P, and the rack 54 in like manner engages like wheels 57 58 on the opposite ends of said cylinders, only one, 57, of which is shown. By this means the reciprocatory movements of the bed oscillate the impression-cylinders in concert, and an impression is therefore made from each form upon each forward-and-backward movement of the bed. These impression-cylinders I P are each of a size to provide upon their peripheries a form-bearing surface equal to the length of a form on the bedand additionally provide a space for the reception and working of grippers 1 2, that may operate to carry a sheet in each printing direction. In Figs. 6, 7, and 9 to 12 the relation of the grippers to the form-bearing surface of each of these im pressioncylinders will be best seen. These grippers are mounted, as shown, upon longitudinal shafts having suitable hearings in the cylinders and are operated,as may be seen from Figs. at, 5, 6, and '7, by means of rock-arms and cams. The grippers of both cylinders I and P are marked with like numerals of reference 1 and 2, for the reason that they are respectively operated in like manner with respect to both cylinders,whence it follows that a description ofone will apply to the other, the means of operating these grippers being more fully shown in some views than in others. Thus the shaft carrying the grippers 1 is provided with a rock-arm 10, which is pivoted to a spring-rod 20, whereby said shaft is rocked so as to normally hold the grippers closed, as in full lines in Fig. 6', and said shaft is also provided with a rockarm 4, whereby through contact with a cam 21 said grippers are rocked open, as shown in dotted lines in said figure, the cam 21 being oscillated from its dotted-line position to its full-line position shown in said figure by means of a rock-arm 8 and connecting-rod 40, (see Figs. 4 and 2,) which rod is pivoted to a lever 41, that is rocked appropriately by a cam 42 on the outside counter-shaft 50. The shaft carrying the grippers 2 carries a rockarm 22, Fig. 7, by which it is pivoted to a spring-seated rod, by the action of which said grippers are normally held closed, and these grippers are opened by means of 'arock-arm 3, connected with their shaft, the bowl of which makes contact with a stationary cam. The office of these grippers 1 and 2 is the common one of clamping the sheet to the impression-cylinders, so as to carry the same around upon the surface thereof and to open and release said sheet for delivery from the surface of said cylinders. In this instance these grippers face in opposite directions and respectively carry the sheet onward in the direction in which the cylinder is moving, as will be more clearly understood in the further description.

The paper may be introduced into the machine in the form of sheets or webs. In the construction illustrated herein the web 0 to be operated upon is led from a roll between guide-rollers 59 60 and passes thence between cutting-cylinders 61 62, whereby it is severed or partially severed into sheet lengths, and thence passes into a pathway consisting of tapes 63 64, which have a speed whereby the leading end of the web-is accelerated, so as to detach a sheet length from the web or, if the same he already detached, advance said sheet at such speed as to provide a working space between it and the succeeding sheet length. The tapes 63 run from rollers 65 outward horizontally and thence down ward over rollers 66 67 68, which latter are close to the periphery of the impression-cylinder I, and return over a roller 69, while the tapes 64 run from a roller 70 beneath roller 65, thence over the roller 66 and over a roller 71 adjacent to the roller 67, and over a roller 72 near the periphery of the impression-cylinder I, and return over rollers 73. The rollers 71 67 are geared together to run in unison by means of pinions 100 101, and the rollers 72 68 are provided with pinions 102 103, that intermesh with intermediates 104 105, the latter of which intermeshes with pinion 101. The shafts of rollers 72 and 68 are provided on the ends opposite from those upon which are mounted the pinions 102 and 103 with pinions 102 103, loosely mounted upon their respective shafts, gearing with wheel 106 on the cylinder-shaft and each provided with a clutch face 91, adapted to engage with the other half of the clutch 92, keyed upon the shaft. Each pinion 102' 103 is also provided with a grooved collar 93, with each of which collars engages an end of the two-ended lever 94, mounted on vertical rock-shaft 95, which receives motion from the rock-lever 96, with a bowl running in a cam 97 on shaft 50. When either of these clutches is open,the pinion thereof is out of engagement with its shaft and revolves idly. The lever 94 is so moved by its cam that the pinion 102 is withdrawn from the clutch-face 92, as shown in Fig. 5, at all times when the impression-cylinder I is revolving in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3. At such times the pinion 103 will be in engagement with its clutch and will drive, through gear-wheels 105 101 100, the rolls 67 and 71, and the motion will be further transmitted from pinion 105 through intermediate 104 to pinion 102 and roll 72. hen the direction of the rotation of the cylinder I is reversed,

the position of lever 94 is at the same moment reversed and the pinion 102 thrown into engagement with the clutch-face 92, while the pinion 103' is thrown out of engagement with its clutch-face. The pinion 103' now revolves idly, while the rolls 72, 71, 67, and 68 receive their motionthrough the roll 71- and in the same direction as before. The switch M, mounted upon the rock-shaft N, is, through rock-lever 98, rod 99, and cam 84, shifted at proper times to take the sheets coming be tween the tapes 63 and 64 to the right or left hand side of the impression-cylinder I. The delivery of all the sheets is made from the cylinder I to a common path formed by two sets of tapes 74 and 75. The tapes 74 pass around stripping-cylinder 76, guiderolls 77, 78, and 79, rollers 71 and 67 of the mechanism connected with the second irn pression-cylinder, guide-roller 85, roller 68 of the mechanism connected with the second impression-cylinder, guide-roller 86, guideroller 87, and guide-roller 88 back to the stripping-cylinder 76. The tapes 75 pass from the stripping-cylinder 89 over guide-rollers 77, 78, and 79, rollers 71 72 of the mechanism connected with the second impression-cylinder P, and guide-roller 32 back to the stripping-cylinder89. Thestripping-cylinders76 and 89 are each provided with stripping-pins 33, normally held in the retracted position (shown in Fig. 7) with reference to roller 76 by rock-arms 34, mounted on spring-pressed shaft 35, the rock-arms 34 having studs which engage with slots in the heads of the pins 33. The shaft 35, as shown, carries a rock-arm 36 and a bowl 37, which run upon the curved surface of cam 38 to protrude the pins from the rollers at the proper time, the pins being ordinarily held in their retracted position by a spring operating upon the shaft 35. It is only necessary to protrude the pins 33 at intervals in the operation of the mechanism, and the cam 38 is rocked for that purpose by a rod 39, connecting it with cam 44 on shaft 50. The cam 38 is thus caused to take the position shown in Fig. 3 when the pins of cylder 76 are to be protruded and a corresponding position with reference to stripping-cylinder 89 when the pins in the latter cylinder are to be protruded and the intermediate position shown in Fig. 4 when neither set of pins is to be acted upon. The stripping-pins 33 take the sheets when the same are released by the grippers 1 and 2 and enter them between the tapes 74 and 75. The run of the sheets between the two impression-cylinders I and P is lengthenedby the loop around guide-roller 79 in order to properly time the arrival of the sheets at impression-cylinder P. Inasmuch as the sheets which are delivered to impression-cylinder I upon-the front side thereof remain for a longer time upon that cylinder than the sheets which are delivered thereto on the rear side thereof, the latter sheets enter the path between tapes 74 and relatively in advance of the former sheets-that is, each sheet printed on the forward oscillation of the impression-cylinder I will when it arrives in the path between the two impression-cylinders be separated from the sheet ahead of it by a smaller space than from the sheet behind it. In order that the sheets may be presented to the impressioncylinder P separated by equal intervals, provision is made for delaying the sheets which are relatively ahead of the others in their passage from the cylinder I to the cylinder P, and this is secured in the present instance by means of the loop passing from roller 67 to roller and roller 68.

Switch M is similar in every respect to the switch M, above described, and serves to direct the sheets alternately toward the two opposite sides of the impression-cylinder P. The mechanism is so arranged that the sheets which have the relative advantage in traveling from the impression-cylinderI to the impressioncylinder P will be shifted by the switch M into the longerpath formed by the loop about the roller 85, while the alternate sheets will be shifted into the shorter path, which passes between roller 72 and the cylinder P. From the cylinderP the sheets are directed by mechanism substantially identical with that above described between the tapes 24. 25 and by them carried out of the machine.

To clearly illustrate the operation of the mechanism, there is shown in Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 successive positions thereof with reference to the sheets passing through the machine. In Fig. 9 six sheets are shown between the tapes, and they are lettered a b c (1 cf. In Fig. 10 the same sheets are in I the machine in the positions shown. In Fig. 11 the sheetsa, b, c, d, and e are in the machine, while the sheet f has passed out of it, and in Fig. 12 sheets a, b, c, and d are in the machine, sheets cf having passed out in this position. It will now be understood that the series of sheets are presented to the impression-cylinder I alternately on opposite sides, that they are delivered in series to the path between the tapes 74 and 75, that those sheets which are delivered to the rear side of the cylinder I and are printed upon the forward oscillation of that cylinder are delivered to the front side of the cylinder P and perfected upon the backward oscillation of that cylinder, while the sheets which are delivered to the front side of the cylinder I and printed upon the backward oscillation of that cylinder are delivered to the rear side of the cylinder P and perfected upon the forward oscillation of that cylinder.

What I claim is 1. The combination with two oscillating impression cylinders each provided with two sets of sheet-taking devices, of two reciprocating beds, a single meansfor presenting sheets alternately to each of the sets of sheettaking devices on the first impression-cylinder, whereby they are printed on one side, and means for conveying the sheets to and alternately presenting them to each set of sheettaking devices on the second impression-cylinder, whereby they are printed on the opposite side, substantially as described.

2. The combination with two oscillating impression-cylinders each provided with two sets of sheet-taking devices, of two reciprocating beds, a tape-pathway and a suitable switch operating to deliver sheets alternately to each set of sheet-taking devices on the first impression-cylinder, whereby the sheets are printed on one side, and 'means including a tape-pathway and a suitable switch for carrying the sheets from the first impressioncylinder to the second impression-cylinder and alternately presenting them to each set of sheet-taking devices on the second impression-cylinder, whereby the sheets are printed on the opposite side, substantially as described.

3. The combination with two oscillating impression-cylinders, each provided with two sets of sheet-taking devices, of two reciprocatin g beds, a single means for presenting sheets alternately to each set of sheet-takin g devices on the first impression-cylinder, whereby the sheets are printed on one side, a single path leading from the first impression-cylinder to ward the second, and means cooperating therewith for alternately delivering the sheets to each set of sheet-taking devices on the second impression cylinder, whereby they are printed on the opposite side, substantially as described.

1. The combination with two oscillating impression-cylinders, each provided with two 1 sets of sheet-taking devices, of two reciprocat- IIO ing beds, a tape-pathway and a suitable switch operating to deliver sheets alternately to each set of sheet-taking devices on the first impression-cylindenwhereby the sheets are printed on one side, and means including a single tape-pathway and a suitable switch whereby the sheets are taken from the first impressioncylinder and alternately delivered to each set of sheet-takin g devices on the second impression-cylinder, whereby they are printed on the opposite side, substantially as described.

5. The combination of two oscillating impression-cylinders, two reciprocating beds, means for presenting a series of sheets alter.- nately to be printed thereby on its forward and backward oscillations respectively, a single path for all the sheets leading from'the first toward the second impression-cylinder, means for delivering the alternate sheets from the first impression-cylinder to the said path, means for delivering said sheets from said path to the second impression-cylinder alternately on opposite sides of said cylinder to be perfected on the forward and backward oscillations thereof respectively, and means for delaying alternate sheets in their passage from the first to the second impression-cylinder to equalize the periods between the sheets, substantially as described.

6. The combination of two oscillating impressioncylinders, two reciprocating beds, means for presenting a series of sheets alternately on opposite sides of the first impression-cylinder to be printed thereby on its forward and backward oscillations respectively, a single path for all the sheets leading from the first toward the second impression-cylinder, means for delivering the sheets from the first impression cylinder to the said path, means for delivering said sheets from said path to the second impression-cylinder alternately on oppositesides of said cylinder to be perfected on the forward and backward oscillations thereof respectively, and means for increasing the length of the path traversed by alternate sheets between the first and second impression-cylinders to equalize the periods between the sheets, substantially as described.

7. The combination with an oscillating impression-cylinder having two sets of sheettaking devices, of a reciprocating bed, a single means for feeding sheets into the machine,

sets of sheet-taking devices, of two reciprocating beds, a single means for presenting sheets alternately toeach set of sheet-taking devices on the first impression cylinder, whereby they are printed on one side, means for conveying the sheets to and alternately presenting them to each set of sheet-taking devices on the second impression-cylinder,

and means for delaying alternate sheets in their passage from the first to the second impression-cylinder, substantially as described.

10. The combination with two oscillating impression-cylinders, each provided with two sets of sheet-taking devices, of two reciprocating beds, a tape-pathway and 'a suitable switch operating to deliver sheets alternately to each set otsheet-taking devices on the first impression-cylinder, whereby the sheets are printed on one side, means including a tapepathway and a suitable switch for carrying the sheets from the first impression-cylinder to the second impression-cylinder and alternately presenting them to each set of sheettaking devices on the second impression-cylinder, whereby the sheets are printed on the opposite side, andmeans for delaying alternate sheets in their passage from the first to the second impression-cylinder, substantially as described.

11. The combination with two oscillating impression-cylinders, each provided with two sets of sheet-taking devices, of two reciprocating beds, a single means for presenting sheets alternately to each set'of sheet-taking devices on the first impression cylinder, whereby the sheets are printed on one side, a single path leading from the first impression-cylinder toward the second, means cooperating therewith for alternately delivering the sheets to each set of sheet-taking devices on the second impression-cylinder, whereby they are printed on the opposite side, and means for delaying alternate sheets in their passage from the first to the second impression-cylinder, substantially as described.

12. The combination with two oscillating impression cylinders, of two reciprocating beds, means for presenting a series of sheets alternately on opposite sides of the first impression-cylinder to be printed thereby on its for-ward and backward oscillations respectively, tapes operating to deliver sheets from the first to the second impression-cylinderarranged to provide a longan'd a short pathway, and a suitable switch for alternately directing the sheets through said pathways, substantially as described.

13. The combination with two oscillating impression-cylinders, each provided with two sets of sheet-taking devices, of two reciprocating beds, a single means for presenting sheets alternately to each set of sheet-taking devices on the first impression cylinder, whereby they are printed on one side, tapes for conveying the sheets from the first to the second impression-cylinder, said tapes being arranged to provide a long and a short pathway, and a suitable switch for delivering sheets alternately through said pathways,s ubstantially as described.

14. The combination with two oscillating impression-cylinders, each provided with two sets of sheet-taking devices, of two reciprocating beds, a single set of tapes for presenting sheets alternately to each set of sheet-taking devices on the first impression-cylinder, whereby they are printed on one side, tapes for conveying sheets from the first to the second impression-cylinder, said tapes being arranged to provide a long and a short pathway, and a suitable switch for delivering sheets alternately through said pathways,substantially as described.

15. The combination with two oscillating impression-cylinders, each provided with two sets of sheet-taking devices, of two reciprocating beds, a single tape-pathway for carrying sheets into the machine, a switch cooper- 0nd impression-eylinder,and a suitable switch for alternately directing the sheets through said pathways, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE F. READ.

Witnesses:

CHAS. A. BRODEN, T. F. KEHOE. 

